The Federal Government claims it has revoked the contract for constructing a smart school in Kebbi State and granted it to a different contractor.
Dr Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, also revealed that the construction of a smart school in Bayelsa State is being revoked.
Sununu made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja, while touring the FCT Smart School in Karshi with the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.
“The two schools that are lagging; that of Kebbi State have been revoked and awarded to another contractor, and Bayelsa is also undergoing due process to revoke the contract and be rewarded so that no state will be left behind in the smart school application of technology in education, (sic)” he said.
He also criticised certain states for failing to provide the federal government with 75 teachers for training on how to administer smart schools after they had been finished and handed over.
As a result, he urged other states to follow in the footsteps of the FCT administration, which has already provided roads and hostel accommodations to expand the scope of the smart school in its domain with a full staff complement.
Sununu also urged traditional rulers and Karshi people to ensure appropriate security for the facilities, noting that they are the primary beneficiaries of their services before other Nigerians.
The Universal Basic Education Commission launched and sponsored the Smart School initiative in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to increase the capacity of teachers in the development and use of ICT content and to improve the access of teachers and pupils to quality teaching and learning materials.
Earlier, the Minister of Education, Mamman, said Nigeria’s education system was currently directed towards technology-enhanced learning to help nurture the thinking and creativity of the students.
“This is the type of institution we aspire to have in the country that integrates personal learning and takes technology right from the beginning and makes learning interactive for toddlers; learners take from the foundation and from there to build up to the university level.
“It will help to nurture their thinking and creativity. So this is the direction our education is going,” he said.
While describing the school’s pioneer personnel as extremely fortunate, he encouraged them to take their work seriously, noting that the school will serve as a teaching ground for other teachers and institutions in the area.
The minister, who reiterated the government’s intention to develop one smart school in each state of the federation, said there are now 26 of them, with construction on the remaining ones underway.
“This is part of the legacy this government is delivering to Nigerians which is to make provision for a digitalised school system for pupils to be trained in the use of technology right from kindergarten to basic and junior secondary school,” he said.
According to him, teachers in schools will not only be involved in the delivery of lessons but the development of what the kids would be taught.
“This is one of the unique features of this institution, you have facilities that will allow you to develop the content of what you are going to offer within the Nigerian context, values, and national curriculum,” he said.
He further stated that smart schools will combine conventional and vocational aspects of education so that at completion the students will have skills that can help them in life.
On the issue of security of the facility which is located well in the outskirts of Karshi, the minister said the government was aware of security challenges in the country and has put together elaborate security arrangements for all of the smart schools across the country.
According to him, both armed and unarmed security guards are being engaged while partnerships with host communities are being forged to give the schools all the necessary security.
He said a strong community engagement was important for both security and for the institutions to impact on the communities.
“Apart from strengthening the economy of Karshi, it’s a learning centre set up for the training of teachers and other people within the Karshi area. So there’s this sense of ownership by the community which will help a lot in synergising on many fronts,” he said.
The minister said over 11,000 Almajiris were counted in FCT alone and will be enrolled in different schools across the country by September.
“On the ground already we have armed policemen and we are expecting armed civil defence personnel. Besides, we also have vigilantes from the community and we have some programmes we are working on to ensure that this school is perfectly secured.
“We are in collaboration with the community as far as the security of this school is concerned,” the Minister of State for Education said.